Twelfth Night: On the Twelfth Night of Christmas

by: Jo Hiestand

Published by: Hilliard & Harris

Reviewed by Connie Anderson

If you love things British and love mysteries, you'll be in grand company in any of Jo Hiestand's books.

I was introduced to this author with Sainted Murder and loved her use of descriptive words that complemented her wonderful storytelling. Hiestad, an American author, has lived in England and thus has kept the British English very authentic.

Twelfth Night is a holiday celebrated by this British family after Christmas. The entire story takes place on the family estate, where generations of the Salt family have lived and worked in the family business--making very high-quality harpsichords.

They are about to have an important meeting to vote on a growth idea for the business, and at the Twelfth Night party, Mercedes, the oldest son's wife, announces she wants a divorce. Well, this caused an uproar for the entire family because she said she'd vote no on expansion.

Mercedes goes for a walk the next morning and is found drowned in an iced-over pond between the Salt's estate and her brother's home nearby. To complicate things, Mark, the middle brother, is a police detective in this district--and a suspect.

Question is: Was Mercedes death an accident, suicide or murder? And when a second relative is killed, the waters of doubt are muddied even more. Why? Who did it? and Who is next?

DCI Geoffrey Graham, the lead detective, says to his partner, D.C. Brenna Taylor, "If this isn't murder, they're wasting an awful lot of good motives."

Many of the family secrets come out as the detectives interview each member. Boy, did they have "issues" with each other. The cops didn't have to point fingers at a certain suspect because the family members each pointed to someone else.

Hiestand's attention to detail was worth the read. Her description of English landscape made it easy to feel part of the outdoor crime scenes as well as "seeing" inside the home and outbuildings.

My other favorite line left a pretty clear picture: "He had the look of someone whose breakfast was about to see daylight."

The young female detective Brenna Taylor has "strong feelings" for both of her fellow detectives, but because of department policy, does not act on it. I felt her case of extreme unreleased sexual tension might bring her a bad case of acne any day now. Maybe in the next book....

Armchair Interviews says: Good writing, good story, good mystery clues that kept me guessing and reading and reading.